No 12511, Monday 31 Dec 2018, xChequer

Some unknown words made xChequer even more devious today. 

ACROSS
7   Badge of honour worn by student scoring twelve points (6) EMBLEM {E{MB{L}E}M} EM/Twelve points? See comments
8   Learnt about bony projection (6) ANTLER*
10 Combat op planned in training centre (4,4) BOOT CAMP*
11 Stand up to work, then sit (6) OPPOSE {OP}{POSE}
12 A complete report on women getting nauseous (5) AWFUL {A}{W}{FUL}(~full)
14 Controlled dog without love showing hostility (7) RANCOUR {RAN}{C{O}UR}
15 Wash face briefly, soften and mix lather (7,8) MEXICAN STANDOFF {FACe+SOFTEN+AND+MIX) Wash?
18 Beastly smell, a public gathering (7) INHUMAN {IN{HUM}{A}N}
19 Downright delicate (5) SHEER [DD]
20 Notice about record came in handy (6) HELPED {HE{LP}ED}
21 Pips from fruit, essentially seed, got after pulping (5,3) EDGES OUT {frUit+SEED+GOT}*
23 Dense one vacuously entertaining old man with question (6) OPAQUE {O}{PA}{QUE} (Addendum - {On{PA}{QU}E} - See comments)
24 Fortune for husband with condition (6) WEALTH (-h+w)WEALTH

DOWN
1   Roll or repeat waffle? (8) PERORATE*
2   Following heart-to-heart, still in touch (4) ABUT {heArt}{BUT}
3   Withdrawal from grounds to follow on (6) RECALL {RE}{CALL} Call/Grounds? See comments
4   Without a passion to pursue, home very much a problem in retirement (8) INSOMNIA {IN}{SO}{MaNIA}
5   Ladle food, pressure-cooked in applesauce (10) FLAPDOODLE {LADLE+FOOD+P}*
6   Rubber cover as ergonomic grip (6) ERASER [T]
9   Performing tenor being one great person, a diva (5,6) OPERA SINGER {GREA(-t+1)1+PERSON}*
13 Set fire to place filling fuel in the course of journey (6,4) FLIGHT PLAN {F{LIGHT}{PL}AN}
16 American suspicion giving way to rage, showing evil spirit (8) A?M?D?U? (Addendum - ASMODEUS {A}{S{MODE}US} - See comments)
17 Out of reach at first usually means uncommunicative (8) FAROUCHE {OF+REACH+Us...y}*
18 Refrigerator that's used to store cold punch (6) ICEBOX {I{C}E}{BOX}
19 Team reportedly expressed disappointment (6) SIGHED (~side)
22 Look after son getting old without company (4) SOLO {S}{O}{LO}

GRID

No 12422, Saturday 15 Sep 2018, Arden

Across

1. Back end remains over the edge here in India (7) KASHMIR {bacK}{ASH}{RIM<=}
5. Fighting men also involved in the scheme (7) PLATOON {PLA{TOO}N}
9. Send man into back row (5) REMIT {TIER<=} around {M}
10. Watching over work, making excuses (9) CONDONING {CON{DO}NING}
11. Impractical to apply force when it's windy all around (4-5) AIRY-FAIRY {AIRY-}{F}{AIRY}
12. Set inelegantly, not gentle art work (5) INLAY {{INELEGANTLY}-{GENTLE}*}
13. It’s too small to carry from Agra to Mathura (4) ATOM (T)
15. A gun goes off in line with fourth of July, it's unwieldy (8) UNGAINLY {A+GUN*}{L}{IN}{julY} See comments
18. Abstainers drink them following one's bete noire (8) ANATHEMA {AN}{A{THEM}A}
19. Novel set in Bethlehem, may be (4) EMMA (T)
22. Animal husbandry is poor, people oppose on all fronts (5) HIPPO (Acrostic)
24. Opposing voices raised, bit difficult (9) DIATRIBES {RAISED+BIT*}
26. Rain on grass, rain not even a hotchpotch (9) POTPOURRI {POT}{POUR}{RaIn}
27. One against one with one left to use (5) AVAIL {A}{V}{I}{A}{L}
28. Addict has the right to check into city day care centre (7) NURSERY {N{U{R}SER}Y}
29. Conference 50 % restricted, that's half (7) SEMINAR {SEMI}{NARrow}

Down

1. Agree to pick up on an Asian (6) KOREAN {OK<=}{RE}{AN}
2. He helps uncle, perhaps to change a train (9) SAMARITAN {SAM}{A+TRAIN*}
3. Under a second, apt to come up with a design (5) MOTIF {MO}{FIT<=}
4. Integrity — time to check, reduce it going all round (9) RECTITUDE {REDUCE+IT*} around {T}
5. Flower on ponytail after break up (5) PANSY {SNAP<=}{ponY}
6. Native is a//live, taking root (9) ABORIGINE {A}{B{ORIGIN}E}
7. Hotelier broke the window (5) ORIEL {THE+ORIEL*}={HOTELIER}
8. City goes one up on painter (6) NAGOYA {AN<=}{GOYA}
14. City — city in Alaska keeps time (9) METRONOME {METRO}{NOME}
16. Perhaps grains are stored in such places (9) GRANARIES {GRAINS+ARE*} &lit
17. One is stupid to seek support in menial work (9) LAMEBRAIN {MENIAL*} around {BRA}
20. A feature about work of a composer (6) CHOPIN {CH{OP}IN}
21. Stone remains 50% bigger (6) ASHLAR {ASH}{LARger}
23. Sellers perhaps will dwindle (5) PETER (DD)
24. Communist uprising followed by a meet (5) DERBY {RED<=}{BY}
25. Rule to banish half the championship side (5) REALM {REAL Madrid}

Reference List

Man=M, Work=Do, Force=F, Abstainers=AA, One=A, Against=V, One=I, Left=L, Addict=User, Right=R, City=NY (New York)
On=Re, Second=Mo, Time=T, One=An, Support=Bra, Work=Op, Communist=Red

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous

GRID

No 11421, Monday 15 Jun 2015, Afterdark

ACROSS
1   Booklover's broken mobile almost accepted by Indian merchant as I entered (11) BIBLIOMANIA {B{I}{MOBILe*}ANIA}
9   Sample half of salads, appetizers, soup, starters and snacks (7) SAMOSAS {SAMple}{O}{S}{A}{S}
10 In theory, no new pacer sheds calories to gain power (2,5) ON PAPER {NO}* {PA(-c+p)PER}
11 Beanpoles assemble, release plan to become fat (5) OBESE BEanpOlES*
12 In party, dinner service is displayed by Asian peninsula (9) INDOCHINA {IN}{DO}{CHINA}
13 Kangaroo stench in sleeping place (5) ROOST [T]
15 Then, while going out, penny-farthing can be used to get an utensil (6,3) FRYING PAN {PenNY+FARthING}*
18 Trappings at new casino has standard (9) CAPARISON {CA{PAR}ISON*}
21 Join Steffi, say at the last court (5) GRAFT {GRAF}{c..rT}
22 Beaten sides meet in dishonour (9) DISESTEEM*
24 Bolt's last run's around one minute, second best by the clock (5) TIMER {bolT}{1}{M}{bEst}{R}
26 Touching a new man is tense at first... (7) TANGENT {T}{A}{N}{GENT}
27 ...clean him heartlessly applying fresh soap and love (7) SHAMPOO {HiM+SOAP}* and {O}
28 Tie is the end result between two equals (11) EVENSTEVENS {EVENS}{r...lT}{EVENS}

DOWN
1   Biopic shot around HSR Layout diocese (9) BISHOPRIC {BIOPIC+HSR}*
2   2/3rd of Bombay has English dessert (5) BOMBE {BOMBay}{E}

3   Police officer finds fleeing sniper lying around broken cot (9) INSPECTOR {INSPE{CTO*}R*}
4   In India, fun is having a very loud dog (7) MASTIFF {MASTI}{FF}

5   No, Honda chief will be out by end of July, 12 PM. (7) NOONDAY {NO+hONDA}{julY}
6   L&T Project’s revolutionary plastic jelly (5) ASPIC PlAStIC*
7   Ape has pulse (5-3) SPLIT-PEA {APE}*
8   Fertilizer from nuclear fission: NCL release (4) UREA nUclEAR*
14 At odds with uninitiated cop's positioning (8) OPPOSING {cOP}{POSING}
16 Refuse to accept overtime income for starters and bargain (9) NEGOTIATE {NEG{OT}{In...e}ATE}
17 So, on tour I can be disgraceful (9) NOTORIOUS*
19 Case of a woman with a primarily troubled man (7) SHEATHE {SHE}{A}{Tr...d}{HE}
20 Downfall of Siemens engineer... (7) NEMESIS*
22 ...affected understudy Sunder: Quit the job (4) DUTY undersTUDY*
23 European vegetable (5) SWEDE [DD]

25 Plant's plan placed by novice engineer (5) MAPLE {MAP}{L}{E}

GRID